Rescue
by Pepper Potts-Stark
Summary: ONESHOT! Pepper and Tony went to the bar as friends and Pepper got wasted. Tony carried her home and wanted to be there for her, but she asked him to leave her alone. When Pepper woke up the next morning her life had changed.


**Okay. I know I have 2 stories open and Life is about to get finished soon. But this idea stuck in my head and I had to write this one-shot. **

**It isn't proofread by a beta reader, so all mistakes are mine, so please be nice since English isn't my mother tongue.**

**I own nothing it all belong to marvel. **

**Leave a review please and enjoy the story. **

**Love PP-S**

* * *

**Rescue**

It was friday evening and a light warm summer breeze flowed along the air.

Virginia 'Pepper' Potts sat in the living room of Tony Stark's Malibu mansion and tipped away on her laptop, answering a bunch of emails. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't notice how the time went by and that she hadn't had a break in a few hours. She didn't even hear her boss approach her.

"Pepper had you had a break in some time?" He asked and she jumped at his voice.

"Yeah, just a few moments ago." She answered in honest believe it was only afternoon.

"When?" Tony asked.

"At two am Mr. Stark."

"Pepper, it's half past ten now. Jesus, you need to take a break and eat something. And maybe a nap, too." He said and approached her slowly.

"Tony, I'm not tired and there is so many work left I need to get ready with." She wiped her eyes. Pepper knew she needed a break and maybe an evening away from work, like hanging around in a bar and have a few drinks with some friends. _'What friends? I don't have anyone. I'm so work obsessed I don't have time for friends.' _She thought sadly.  
"And what's the matter if I work a little more than I'm supposed to?" Not sure about his behavior, she couldn't stop the words to left her mouth.

"Like I said before, I care for you and I don't want my lovely PA to be overworked and to face endless stress on a daily basis without some relaxing. So what'cha think? Let's blow this place up and hit the dance floor in the bar around the corner? Just two friends and a friday evening out." His smile was genuine and she returned it.

"Okay." She answered. "Two friends and an evening out. I'm in." She actually hesitated a few seconds to say yes, but was glad for the variety.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRescuexxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few hours later

Pepper and Tony sat across from each other at the bar, a few shot-glasses in front of them. Pepper swayed slightly and giggled at any- and everything Tony or the bartender said, she danced with a few men, but never for long while Tony looked after her to make sure nothing would happen to her. Truth to be told, he watched after her to make sure that no-one would lay their dirty hands on Pepper, HIS Pepper.

It was now half past three in the morning and the bar was empty, so they decided to head home. They stepped off into the night. It was only 800 meters to her condo, but Pepper was far more wasted than he was and could barely walk, so Tony lifted her in his arms and carried her.

"Noooo..." She slurred and tried to struggle out of his grip, but only half heartedly. "Leave me here and go home. I'll make it. Promised. Go by yourself and leave me here."

Tony chuckled at her words. He couldn't remember a time when he had seen her that drunk and he found it incredibly cute. "No, Pep. A Marine won't leave anyone behind." With this words he continued to carry her to her condo. "We'll be home in no time."

Whispered words in her ear soothed her and she melted in the feeling of how he hold her in his strong, yet gentle arms while he walked slowly through the night.

They reached the front door just as Pepper felt a wave of nausea hit her.

"Tony, I'm feeling sick." She slurred.

"Come on. I'll lead you to the bathroom." He said, but it was too late.

The sickness in her stomach was to powerful for her and she couldn't make it to the toilet.  
Tony took a cloth and cleaned the floor.

He realized then what he had just done. Pepper took always care of him when he was drunk and he returned this favor now to her and it felt good. Naturally.

He finally had the answer to the question he couldn't answer for so long. 'Why puts Pepper up with your stupid, self-obsessed ass?' And then it hit him. _'It's not about what you think. It's not just about what you feel, and not about what you're searching for so eagerly. Love is about the things you do without asking, without pretending and without claiming a payback.'_

He loved her. He knew it for a long time now, since he came back from Afghanistan. He just never understood why she should like him back and he never believed she could love him back, but maybe there was light at the end of the tunnel.

He picked her up again and brought her to her bedroom, covered her with a blanked and cleaned her face, along with her hair with a wet cloth. She whimpered next to him and he stood again to grab some Advil and a cup of water. "Pepper drink that, it'll help you with the headache."

She swallowed the pills and looked at him with big blue eyes. "I'm sick." She mumbled and he took a bowl from the kitchen and rubbed her back soothingly while the nausea took the best of her. He cleaned her up again and smiled at her as she looked at him with bleary eyes.

"Tony, thank you. But I'm fine now and I don't want you to see me this way. Really thank you, but I just want to be alone now and I want you to leave." She whispered and tears filled her eyes.

What Tony didn't know was the reason why she was so wasted and why she had drunk so much. It was him. She knew she loved him and was a bit shocked that he hadn't done anything as the men asked her to dance and that he hadn't even tried to make a move. She was hurt by him and needed to cope with that, without being to directly to him. She needed to cover her pain and she figured that for the moment Tequila was the best solution. Now, though she regretted it and felt embarrassed. She wanted him to leave. She wanted to drown in her sorrow and die quietly on her own.

He opened the windows for her and walked over to her. Her stroke her cheek and brushed some hair off her face, bent down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Pepper. Sleep well." He whispered and walked to the door where he looked at her again and admired her beauty, though she was wasted and sick and didn't want him here with her. _'Well, not what I feel, it's about what I do.'_ Then he left.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxRescuexxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pepper woke the next morning and her head felt like it was going to explode. She remembered everything. The evening, dancing, drinking, him carrying her home, the nausea, him carrying her to her bed and cleaning her off, helping her. She regretted that she asked him to leave, but she just couldn't stand him being there. She regretted that she had sent him off as her heart begged her to stay and held her, to kiss her senseless and to lie with her for ever, to sink and melt in his embrace.

Pepper just lay in bed for a while and went through the evening over and over again, calculating chances and possibilities how to act from where she was now.

At some point she convinced herself to get up and got into the bathroom. Maybe a hot, long shower would help with her ache.  
She eventually made her way into the kitchen and purred herself some coffee.

Suddenly her gaze met something that certainly wasn't there the evening before and she picked it up. Tears of unbelievable and indescribable joy filled her eyes. A warmth spread across her stomach and her hand which hold it shivered in excitement.

It was a note and it contained six words. Those words meant the world to her, made her heart flutter, her knees turned into jelly and her face was lit up by the brightest and most genuine and honest smile.

_Good morning love of my life. x_


End file.
